The traditional method for presurgical cleansing of hands is a standard brush scrub of about five to fifteen minutes duration using surgical soap, and applying mechanical force to the hands. Typical systems facilitating such conventional procedures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,616,095; 3,576,277; 3,728,745; and 3,992,730. Variations of the same method are of course used by food handlers in commercial food processing and serving facilities, and by individuals in public rest rooms, soap being applied to the hands while the hands are scrubbed and placed under a direct water stream. It has been found, however, that by applying high pressure pulsating jets of a Betadine solution, or the like, onto a person's hands, surgical cleanliness comparable to that achieved in a conventional ten minute brush scrub can be achieved in about ninety seconds, with less irritation to the skin, and greater consistency of bacteria elimination. Such a procedure is reported in Obstetrics-Gynecology Vol. 51, No. 1, January 1978 (Harper and Row Publishers), pages 115 through 117, "A Rapid Method for the Presurgical Cleansing of Hands" by Decker, et al. Despite the advantageous results achievable by employing such a method; however, it has not met with widespread acceptance, but has been confined to clinical settings.
According to the present invention, an apparatus, and method of utilization of same, are provided for facilitating the washing of a person's hands by directing sprays of pulsating water which compress and decompress the skin surfaces, debris being bounced off the skin by trampoline effect, that is simple and easy to install for use in a wide variety of facilities including hospital scrub areas, commercial food handling facilities, and even public rest rooms.
According to the present invention, an apparatus is provided for facilitating the washing of a person's hands simply and quickly, with no effort, in as short a time as fifteen to twenty seconds. The apparatus includes a chamber and means defining a pair of horizontally spaced and substantially vertically coincident openings in the chamber for receiving a person's hands therein. A pair of pulsating water jet spray heads capable of delivering water at generally about 70 psi (preferably 50 to 100 psi) at a pulsing rate of generally about 800 pulses per minute (preferably 800 to 1200 pulses per minute) are mounted in the chamber so that the heads direct jets of water therefrom into the volume defined by the chamber, and so that the jets of water intersect in the volume. The heads are disposed in a common vertical plane between the chamber hand openings, and a drain opening is provided in a lower portion of the chamber. Preferably, the spray heads are mounted so that the jets issuing therefrom make an angle of about 60.degree. to about 135.degree. with respect to each other, one of the jets preferably being disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as the hand openings, and therebetween, while the other spray head is mounted so that the jets issuing therefrom have a downward velocity component.
The chamber provided according to the present invention most suitably is formed as a sphere, mounted a predetermined height off the ground by a support. Water is supplied to the spray heads through a valve which is controlled by a foot pedal operated by a person using the apparatus. While this spraying action can result in the desired degree of hand cleanliness without the use of any soap solution--merely pure water--if desired a conventional soap dispensing arrangement may be provided that is accessible within the spherical chamber so that the person washing his hands may apply soap thereto before the spraying action is initiated, or during spraying. Alternatively, the water flow can be past a solid form of sterilizing composition, the water picking up some of the composition when flowing therepast to the spray heads. The sprayed liquid is withdrawn from the chamber through a drain opening, and sewered, there being no necessity for recycling of the liquid since only pure water is used.
Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to simply and easily effect cleaning of a person's hands even to surgical cleanliness in a matter of seconds, and utilizing apparatus that is simple and inexpensive, having wide applicability.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide simple apparatus and a simple method for facilitating washing of a person's hands. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.